The Seed

This play is based on the following Quote from Baha’u’llah:

I am, O my God, but a tiny seed which Thou hast sown in the soil of Thy love, and caused to spring forth by the hand of Thy bounty. This seed craveth, therefore, in its inmost being, for the waters of Thy mercy and the living fountain of Thy grace. Send down upon it, from the heaven of Thy loving-kindness, that which will enable it to flourish beneath Thy shadow and within the borders of Thy court. Thou art He Who watereth the hearts of all that have recognized Thee from Thy plenteous stream and the fountain of Thy living waters.

- Baha’u’llah

People needed for actors of Play:

  • Seed (small child)

  • Gardener 1

  • Gardener 2

  • Narrator

  • 21-23 children to be the fruit (You can have less, just pick what virtues you want to highlight)

Props: Gardener outfits, small garden shovels or tools, watering can, 23 signs with beautiful pictures of fruit on the front and their virtue in large letters so the audience can read it (apples, pears, peaches, lemons, limes, grapes, etc. and the back has quotes children can read as they come out one by one center stage and read their virtue. Then they fall back to make a long line across stage with their fruit picture held up in front of them.

Seed: (walks out to center stage) I am, O my God, but a tiny seed which Thou hast sown in the soil of Thy love, and caused to spring forth by the hand of Thy bounty.

Gardener 1: (walks out to center stage beside the seed, watering can in hand and sprinkles the seed as he says his line) This seed craveth, therefore, in its inmost being, for the waters of Thy mercy and the living fountain of Thy grace.

Gardener 2: (walks out to center stage to the other side of the Seed) Send down upon it, from the heaven of Thy loving-kindness, that which will enable it to flourish…

The three kneel down and act like they are digging a hole, putting the seed in the hole, covering it up, watering it. This is all done behind the Narrator who steps out and says:

Narrator: Once upon a time, there was a tiny seed buried deep in the earth. The earth was dark and warm, and the seed, buried deep below the surface felt safe and warm and protected. The seed did not know that above the surface of the earth, brilliant sunshine brightened the day, and moonlight kissed the shadows of the night. The seed did not know the wonder of rain with lightening and thunder talking to each other in the storms. If the seed had known these things, it would have tried to reach the surface instead of staying in its shell deep in the earth.

What the seed did not know was that there was a loving Gardener above the surface of the earth. He loved the seed very much and wished for it all the happiness it would have in the world above. So, He called on the sun to send out its special warming rays. And He asked the rain to quench the thirst of the ground.

And one day… a miracle occurred! The seed started to grow and its tiny new shoots broke through its shell and started rising upwards towards the surface. The seed felt very strange indeed, and a little frightened because it knew nothing of the world above.

But, to the seed’s wonderment and joy, the first thing it saw was the beautiful, blue sky, and then it peeked at the warm, brilliant sun. Never in the dark shell surrounded by earth did the seed imagine life could ever be so grand! The light pulled it to the beautiful world above. How ignorant to have lived in darkness for so long and how foolish to have been afraid! The lovely plant now enjoyed its new life with the kind Gardener who continued to care for, prune, and fertilize the tiny seed until it bore the most delectable of fruits.

Here are the fruits of the Tree of Attributes that grew from that tiny seed:

(The Narrator shows with his arm with a sweeping flourish, as he walks to the side stage, the children coming out one by one, stopping center stage, reading their fruit, then walking to stand beside the Narrator in a long line. If the children are too young, they can just say their attribute.)

I AM JUSTICE: O SON OF SPIRIT! THE BEST BELOVED OF ALL THINGS IN MY SIGHT IS JUSTICE

I AM KINDNESS: O SON OF SPIRIT! MY FIRST COUNCIL IS THIS: POSSESS A PURE, KINDLY AND RADIANT HEART…

I AM TRUTHFULNESS: HAPPY THE MAN THAT HATH CLUNG UNTO THE TRUTH…

I AM WORK: WE HAVE ENJOINED UPON ALL TO BECOME ENGAGED IN SOME TRADE OR PROFESSION, AND HAVE ACCOUNTED SUCH OCCUPATION TO BE AN ACT OF WORSHIP

I AM TRUSTWORTHINESS: THE MOST PRECIOUS OF ALL THINGS IN THE ESTIMATION OF HIM WHI IS THE SOVEREIGN TRUTH IS TRUSTWORTHINESS.

I AM FIDELITY: ADORN YOUR HEADS WITH THE GARLANDS OF TRUSTWORTHINESS AND FIDELITY

I AM KNOWLEDGE: IT IS NOT DESIRABLE THAT A MAN BE LEFT WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE OR SKILLS, FOR HE IS THEN BUT A BARREN TREE

I AM LOVE: O SON OF BEING! LOVE ME THAT I MAY LOVE THEE. IF THOU LOVEST ME NOT, MY LOVE CAN IN NO WISE REACH THEE. KNOW THIS O SERVANT!

I AM THANKFULNESS: BE GENEROUS IN PROSPERITY AND THANKFUL IN ADVERSITY.

I AM CHARITY: WORSHIP YE GOD, JOIN WITH HIM NO PEER OR LIKENESS; AND SHOW FORTH KINDLINESS AND CHARITY TOWARDS YOUR PARENTS.

I AM CHARITY: CHARITY IS PLEASING AND PRAISEWORTHY IN THE SIGHT OF GOD AND IS REGARDED AS A PRINCE AMONG GOODLY DEEDS.

I AM FAITHFULNESS: THEY THAT ARE INDUED WITH SINCERITY AND FAITHFULNESS SHOULD ASSOCIATE WITH ALL THE KINDREDS OF THE EARTH WITH JOY AND RADIANCE, INASMUCH AS CONSORTING WITH PEOPLE HATH PROMOTED AND WILL CONTINUE TO PROMOTE UNITY AND CONCORD.

I AM PATIENCE: THE SIGN OF LOVE IS FORTITUDE UNDER MY DECREE AND PATIENCE UNDER MY TRIALS.

I AM MERCY: THE TRUE LOVER YEARNETH FOR TRIBULATION EVEN AS DOTH THE REBEL FOR FORGIVENESS AND THE SINFUL FOR MERCY.

I AM TOLERANCE: THIS WRONGED ONE EXHORTETH THE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD TO OBSERVE TOLERANCE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHICH ARE TWO LIGHTS AMIDST THE DARKNESS OF THE WORLD.

I AM CLEANLINESS: BE YE THE VERY ESSENCE OF CLEANLINESS AMONGST MANKIND.

I AM MODERATION: IN ALL MATTERS MODERATION IS DESIRABLE.

I AM HUMILITY: HUMILITY EXALTETH MAN TO THE HEAVEN OF GLORY AND POWER, WHILST PRIDE ABASETH HIM TO THE DEPTHS OF WRETCHEDNESS AND DEGRADATION.

I AM GENEROSITY: BE YE THE TRUSTEES OF GOD AMONGST HIS CREATURES, AND THE EMBLEMS OF HIS GENEROSITY AMIDST HIS PEOPLE.

I AM PEACE: THE WELL-BEING OF MANKIND, ITS PEACE AND SECURITY, ARE UNATTAINABLE UNLESS AND UNTIL, ITS UNITY IS FIRMLY ESTABLISHED.

I AM HONESTY: BEAUTIFY YOUR TONGUES, O PEOPLE, WITH TRUTHFULNESS AND ADORN YOUR SOULS WITH THE ORNAMENT OF HONESTY.

I AM HONESTY: HONESTY, VIRTUE, WISDOM AND A SAINTLY CHARACTER REDOUND TO THE EXALTATION OF MAN.

I AM DETACHMENT: O GOD MY GOD! ADORN THE HEADS OF THY LOVED ONES WITH THE CROWN OF DETACHMENT AND ATTIRE THEIR TEMPLES WITH THE RAIMENT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.